By Lynde Salgados
Correspondent
THE lucky journey of Cagayan de Oro boxer Carlo Paalam continues after he won a silver for the country in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Just recently, no less than San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president Ramon Ang had personally handed an additional incentives to Paalam and fellow boxing medalists Nesthy Petecio from Davao and Eumir Marcial from Zamboanga.
Ang gave out P5 million each to silver medalists Petecio and Paalam while bronze medalist Marcial got P2 million.
Aside from the cash reward, Ang also guarantees that the three boxers will be provided with any SMC business that they can put up in their hometowns.
“At a time when our country is seeing the initial signs of hope to recover from the pandemic, our Olympic medalists continue to inspire us to do our best and rise above all difficulties,” Ang said in a statement.
Previously, SMC gave weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz ― the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist ― a P10 million reward for her historic feat in Tokyo.
The Talakag, Bukidnon native Paalam, who picked up garbage for a living before he turned himself up to the amateur boxing program of Cagayan de Oro, had also received a check reward worth P2-million from city mayor Oscar S. Moreno for his exemplary achievement.
This, apart from a 3.6-million house and lot (townhouse) gifted to him by the Cebu Landmasters in its subdivision project Velmiro Uptown CDO, located in the prime Upper Canitoan Cagayan de Oro area.
The 24-year-old Paalam, who fell short of winning the gold in a split decision loss to Galal Yafai of Great Britain, has been promised a total of P24.5 million in cash of windfall fortune.
